Gatecrashing teen denied bail

Liam Knight ... has been left in a critical condition. Photo: Channel Ten

A TEENAGER who allegedly gatecrashed a birthday party in Sydney's north and threw a metal pole that embedded in the skull of 17-year-old Liam Knight was already on bail for other offences, a court has been told.

The 16-year-old from Ryde appeared in Bidura Children's Court at Glebe on Wednesday, having handed himself in to police on Tuesday.

He is facing eight charges, including recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, affray and breach of bail.

Outside court, the accused's mother lashed out at media and protested her son's innocence.

The charges relate to events at an 18th birthday party at Forestville on Friday night that left Liam in a critical condition in Royal North Shore Hospital.

Police allege the accused was refused entry into the party, details of which had been posted on Facebook. The boy then allegedly assaulted the father of the boy hosting the party and another man before climbing onto the roof of the house.

Advertisement

He is then alleged to have tossed building materials into the teenagers partying below, including a metal rod that he threw in a ''javelin motion'', which struck the 17-year-old. The teenager is also accused of attacking another teen as he ran from the scene.

The court was told the accused's cousin was among those who identified him as responsible for the attack. But, in a bail application, the accused's lawyer, Gregory Stanton, said his client may have been ''fingered'' by others who crashed the party.

The magistrate Elizabeth Ellis said there was a question mark over whether the teen was the one who had thrown the rod. But she denied him bail, saying he had previously failed to appear in court for other matters.